The Tale Never Told
by Tsukishiro Yue
Summary: Originally done by Anaraven. Her summary: When Aeris ran to go fight Sephiroth by herself, what happened during that time from her point of view? What if Sephiroth actually didn't...Minor spoilers!! I warned you!
1. Chapter 1

Hi!  This fic was originally done by Anaraven, who generously gave it to me when she wasn't going to continue it!  Chapters 1 and 2 were done by her, but I will be doing from chapter 3, onward.  Enjoy!!

Chapter 1.  
  
Aerith Gainsborough; sweet, innocent, smart, and pure. However, that wasn't the case at this point in time. She'd run from her friends to try to be the heroine of the story, to take on the powerful Sephiroth by herself. Emotions swelled deep within, but she suppressed them with hope. That was all she actually had, hope. She carried no weapons, and she was too exhausted from the long journey to cast magic spells.  
  
The City of the Ancients was no more than a mile away when she stumbled, and fell to the rocky ground. Out of breathe and weary from travel, Aerith could not bring herself to stand up. Just kneeling there, feeling Sephiroth's presence near by, frightened her to the point of almost turning back.  
  
"I can't...do this. What was...I thinking?" Aerith pushed the words from her chilled lips. The sound of her voice comforted her a little, and gave her the strength to stand. But with her head bowed, focusing on the ground as she stood, she failed to see him appear. "I should have...never come here...alone." Those were the last words she spoke before lifting her gaze, and screaming in sheer terror.  
  
"I don't know if I should be insulted or flattered that you feel you can't stand up against me." Sephiroth's deep voice sent chills through Aerith's entire body. She wanted to turn and run as fast as she could but she knew the truth. If she made one false move now her struggles to get this far may have been all been done in vein.  
  
"I must say you are a brave little thing. Brave and stupid that is. You saved me the trouble of looking for you. Now I can allow your friends to come and witness your death without ever leaving this area. How thoughtful of you." Sephiroth laughed for a moment before fixating his gaze on Aerith's face. The look of fear there, upon her pure features, was enough to drive him insane. He loved the affect he had on people.  
  
Aerith finally mustered up the courage to talk back to the being in front of her. "I swear by my ancestors, Sephiroth, I'll kill you!!" What started as a weak sentence turned into an all out scream, only causing Sephiroth to laugh harder.  
  
"Please! Stop! I'll die of laughter!" He took a moment to annoy her further by continuing to laugh before he settles down, leaving his cocky grin upon his lips. "You look a little cold. I'm sure your journey in the north was quite hard so I can assume you wish to rest?" It seemed he was acting nice... "Although, it won't really matter. When your friends arrive you'll die anyway."  
  
"Enough!" Aerith screamed. Without warning, or second thought, she charged the taller man slamming right into his chest. Sephiroth placed on foot back a little for support as the young girl pounded, with her fists clenched, against his slightly exposed chest. "You stupid bastard! When they get here they'll kick your ass!"  
  
Sephiroth remained quiet a moment, taking the weak beating. He thought it might go on for hours, knowing how much strength this girl had but he was wrong. The journey she made took more out of her than he thought. Within minutes her fists became lose, and her hits even weaker. Finally she turned angrily away, throwing her arms to the side. "Just do it now! Why wait? Come on! Free shot! I was stupid enough to come alone I deserve to die for such a horrid mistake!"  
  
Sephiroth raised a brow; he was literally shocked by her actions.  
  
Aerith waited for that final blow that would end her life but it never came. Instead she felt a strong arm brush over her right shoulder and another under her left arm. Hands, rough with calices, clasped together in the center of her chest. Before she could react everything around her faded to a bright white light. She sank back into Sephiroth's arms as she tried to shield her eyes from the light but it was no use. The grip around her tightened as the ground beneath her seemed to disappear.  
  
Aerith struggled to be let go, but the more she struggled the tighter he gripped her. Finally, with her right arm bent, she swung her elbow directly towards Sephiroth's midsection. Obviously he hadn't expected it because she heard him grunt. Her glory of causing him pain lasted only a moment. Sephiroth drew back his arms letting her fall into that ever-blinding light.  
  
TO BE CONTINUED!!!! 


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2.  
  
That moment that Aerith was falling seemed to last for an eternity. But she had not been falling long enough to even muffle a scream. Her feet touched the ground first but the force of the fall caused her to collapse immediately. By the sound made when she landed she guessed she had landed on a sturdy, wooden floor. Her vision was still lost to the white light when she heard Sephiroth speak up.  
  
"That was quite a hit you gave, too bad it only resulted in you falling." That annoying laugh that was his filled her ears.  Her small hands covered her ears, shaking her head to drown the sound out but it was no use.  
  
"Where are you, Sephiroth? Show yourself! Or are you afraid to?" Aerith stood up bravely waiting for him to spear, but he didn't. He could only laugh at the sight.  
  
"I'm right in front of you, about four steps away. You're eyes have not adjusted to real light yet." His voice lost that mocking tone and he leaned back in the chair of which he sat. Muscular arms crossed, watching the girl's futile attempts to focus her eyesight. Every time she thought she saw him her head would snap to that direction only to find nothing.  
  
Frustration took its toll on her as she shank back to her knees, her face buried in her hands.  
  
"Ah, don't cry, it's a waste of time, sound, and energy."  
  
"I'm not crying, I'm thinking."  
  
"Of?"  
  
"Of how I'm going to kill you?" Her face lifted from her hands, her vision slowly beginning to return. Aerith saw Sephiroth rise to his feet, his black cape straightening as he stood. Aerith tried to follow his simple movements as best she could but he was still just a blurry figure in her sight. Before she realized Sephiroth was upon her his course, rough, hand gripped tightly around her upper arm and yanked her to her feet.  
  
"Get up!" he growled. "Keep it up, that 'little miss tough' act, and I will kill you!" his tone emphasized 'will', and at the same time he threw her forward. From her guess she'd been thrown on a bed. She quickly turned around to find where he was, even if it was just a blurry mix of color in her eyes but he was gone.  
  
It was then realization struck. If she wasn't mistaken he said 'I will kill you." But wasn't he going to do that anyway? "I wonder what he meant." Locating the sheets and pillow of the bed she drew back the covers and slipped beneath them, resting her head on the pillow. Sephiroth had been right when he said she looked cold and needed rest. Aerith fell swiftly into a deep slumber, filled with nightmares, and torturing pictures of how he intended to kill her.


	3. Chapter 3

~Chapter 3

Aerith slowly opened her eyes, her eyes adjusting well this time to the light.  The place she was in looked very small, the wooden walls and floors looking about ready to crumble.  She was on the only bed in the place, and Sephiroth was nowhere to be found.  She looked over at the hole that she supposed was one a door, and saw only bright light.  Curiously, she got up out of the bed and headed for the door.

Aerith gasped.  The place was beautiful.  It seemed as if there was a crystal city beneath her.  She stood on what looked like a floating crystal step.  There were more that made a spiraling staircase to the city below.

"The City of the Ancients..." She breathed, stunned.

"Go look at it if that is your wish..."  Sephiroth's calm voice sounded from behind her, "You're friends aren't here yet, so it is no use to kill you this instant."

Aerith frowned, "I doubt you were really planning to kill me from the beginning..."

Sephiroth growled and was at her throat in an instant, "Know this... I am only keeping you alive so I can kill you in front of your friends... I don't NEED you here.  As far as I'm concerned, you are a hindrance, nothing but unnecessary luggage I could toss whenever I see fit."  His cold mako eyes narrowed before he released her, Aerith collapsing to her knees, holding her throat, her breath coming in short gasps.

Sephiroth turned away from her, his voice curt and cold, "Go down and take a look at the city.  It will be the last thing you ever see."

Without looking back, Aerith fled down the crystal steps, clasping her hurt throat.

---------------

Aerith knelt by the water, closing her eyes.  She could hear it... the planet...  It was telling her she was close.  Close to a place that could change the fate of the world.

She followed the planet's voice, going higher and higher up along the tiered city.  The she saw what the planet was screaming about to her... It was an alter, looking over all the city.  A beam of light struck the center of the alter.

Aerith struggled to listen, "I... I don't understand...  What am I supposed to do...? Ancients... planet... I do not understand..."

Then one word came, clear as crystal...  _pray..._

Aerith looked up into the light in confusion, "Pray?  Pray for what...?"  She looked down, "I don't understand..."

"Don't understand what?"

Aerith turned to face the owner of the cold, domineering voice, "I don't understand why you brought me here..."

Sephiroth looked out across the city, "Look at it.  It's beautiful, isn't it...?  I thought this was the perfect place to be your resting place.  Don't you agree...?"

Aerith nodded, avoiding the subject of death, "It is beautiful... Hard to believe that a monster like you could appreciate beauty, though."

Sephiroth swung around to look at her, his eyes radiating anger and the promise of death, but then he smirked, "I appreciate many beautiful things..."  He gave her a pointed look before going back up to the house they had begun in.

That pointed glance did not escape Aerith's vision, and she blushed scarlet.  Was he talking about her?  Aerith rolled her eyes and then looked back up into the light bathing the alter.  What should she pray for?  Maybe after more sleep, she'd come back for the answer...

Well, I know it is short, but I hope you liked it!  R&R!!


End file.
